ERIC Number: EJ1480280
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Jul
Pages: 19
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1042-0541
EISSN: EISSN-2162-5212
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Getting the Word Out: Examining Key Trends and Strategies in School-Based Agricultural Education Programs' Communication and Marketing Efforts
Journal of Agricultural Education, v66 n3 Article 3 2025
If educators do not promote their agricultural education programs, who else will? At the same time, we recognize the time of agricultural educators is extremely limited; if communication and marketing efforts sometimes are not the priority of a program, and key stories and accomplishments may not be shared with stakeholders. The idea of program marketing and communication has not been explored deeply in recent research. The purpose of this study was to examine the communication and marketing strategies of agricultural education programs; 44 educators representing 22 states with an average of 8.93 ([sigma] = 9.10) years of teaching experience attended the program marketing workshop hosted at the 2024 National FFA Convention participated in the study. Each participant was invited to share about their program's existing marketing efforts, the audiences they engage, and perceived barriers. Data revealed Facebook, Instagram, and in-person events were some of the most frequently used and effective platforms for achieving marketing goals. Programs shared a goal of engaging with parents and supporters, but viewed engagement with students, community members, and administrators to also be very important. Limited time, lack of content, and lack of marketing expertise were cited as the top barriers, with educators indicating a desire for more template-style resources for social media graphics, press releases, or promotional give-away items to assist them in developing engaging program marketing materials. These resources should be developed, and additional research with a larger sample size may reveal additional insights to inform professional development and training opportunities for educators.
Descriptors: Agricultural Education, Communication Strategies, Marketing, Educational Trends, Audiences, Barriers, Social Media, Teacher Attitudes
American Association for Agricultural Education. P.O. Box 7607, Department of Agricultural and Extension Education, Raleigh, NC 27695. Web site: https://jae-online.org/index.php/jae/index
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A

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